Scope and Contents

Meant to write back sooner after receiving her letter about the deolaton of what was once a very pretty area in Virginia; thee is a confict very near the Cox's house; news of friends; Mrs. Wilson sends regards; Mrs. Gilpin is well; they all ate at Matthew's yesterday for Thanksgiving; Sarah and Mary [Matthew's daughter] played duets on the piano; (29 November) apologizes again for not having written sooner; her neice Harriet brought her 4 children to New York for a long visit; her sister-in-law who had been visiting relatives in Pennsylvania also paid them a visit; knitted some shirts and stockings for her grandchildren [Harriet's children] and socks for an expected child; in a week, only she and her brother [Rutson] were left; Mytton went back to Middeltown continue his theological studies; he will be a learned clergyman, and she hopes he will be able to speak well also; he gave a good speech to the poor peple at the Alms House; Mytton, Harriet, and her famil;y and William, who recently came back from England, went to Washington and visited Birdboro on the way; Sarah visited a sick friend in Darien and Walker was visiting a sick relation in State Island; Rutson enjoyed the quiet; since he is deaf he feels lonely in large groups; they only keep servants at the table when they have company; that way, the family can talk confidentially; tried to send a package to Nan, but could not; has heard from Tobin twice; he arrived in Hong King but could not find a job there; was caught in a typhoon on the way to Shanghai; he wrote to Sarah that being in the storm made him realize how much Aunt Ann had been like a mother to him; he told Sarah to try to fill his place while he is gone; has a copy of Bishop Meade's book on Virginia families, which is very interesting; heard that Nan is situated comfortably in Milton, North C[arolina]; her husband [Lewis] has been assigned duty to the Alabama River; if she has an opprotunity to send her this letter, she would like her to do so; encloses her carte de visite to remind her of her [not present]. 4pp. ALS Including Ts of ALS, 2pp.